A fresh assault targeting a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday sparked growing concerns over deteriorating global energy supply routes. These anxieties follow Saudi Arabia’s precautionary shutdown of its primary transcontinental pipeline after a drone strike.
A commercial ship was struck by a missile on Sunday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO. A fire broke out onboard, forcing local authorities to evacuate the crew. Specific details surrounding the incident and accountability remain unverified.
This maritime strike occurred one day after Saudi Arabia announced a temporary, precautionary shutdown of its East-West pipeline. Riyadh and Baghdad confirmed that the drone attack prompting the shutdown originated from Iraq, home to several Iran-backed militias. Closing this pipeline, combined with ongoing attacks on shipping throughout the Gulf and Red Sea, threatens to exacerbate pressures on oil markets. Brent crude already surged past $100 per barrel over the past week.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested U.S. military assistance to counter Houthi forces in Yemen amid the widening conflict. Washington has reportedly ruled out direct military engagement for now, offering intelligence support instead.
Houthi forces, who claim to have enforced a blockade against Saudi shipping since July, have stepped up operations across the Red Sea. Yemeni government officials informed Reuters that the movement seized control of strategic Perim Island at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on September 11.
Meanwhile, tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated. A summit bringing together Iranian officials and Arab Gulf nations is scheduled for September 14 in Oman to address the future of the Strait of Hormuz. However, an Iranian official played down prospects for a breakthrough, emphasizing that Tehran maintains strict preconditions before reopening the waterway.